Volitair
World: 'Volitair *'Location: 'Subsector Cryptus *'Type: 'Fortress World *'Tithe: 'Milites Volitair primarily raises and trains regiments for the Imperial Guard *'Population: '1.7 Billion 700 000 000 *'Government: '''Imperial Guard dictatorship. The Lord General of Volitair is directly appointed by the Sector's Lord General Militant - though often in cooperation with the Cryptus Subsector Governor. The current Lord General of Volitair is '''Lord General Ibn Sa-Lahm. Admiral Ona Pelial of the Imperial Navy also holds a lot of sway here. 'Description' Volitair is a desert world with a hot, dry climate that nears the upper limits of normal human tolerances, though is still cooler than worlds like Erba where the native population has shifted in biological temperature tolerance dramatically to cope. Volitair is the Imperium's first line of defence in Subsector Cryptus and is on the front line of the ongoing conflict between the Imperium and the Orknoids of Ord, Drohia, and Remgar (the most powerful faction of which is the Ord Empire). Volitair is frequently engaged with greenskin forces in the outer reaches of their own system and the Orknoids. In the void, on freezing terrestrial worlds and gas giant moons Volitair engages marauding orks on an ongoing basis. They also maintain a loose alliance with the independant human world of Sondark, as they both fight against the greenskin menace. Volitair was first colonised in the Dark Age of Technology, but during the Age of Strife society collapsed and destroyed the modern human civilisation (some suggest this calamity may have caused or been caused by a shift to the current arid climate). Thus by the time of the Great Crusade the Volitan population had deteriorated into desert nomads that used scavenged tech and hardy horses & beasts to traverse the sands. Imperial control was never too firm over the strategically unimportant world, and as Sector Deus fell in and out of Imperial control Volitair's people went back and forth between established plateau settlements sustained by imports, and self-sustaining Nomadism. This changed following the Belisarian Reclamation Crusade of M37. The major Imperial world of Ord along with Drohia & Remgar had fallen to Orks, leaving the Subsector's coreward fringe very weak. As the only planet close enough that wasn't already optimised for another purpose, Volitair was 'adopted' by the Imperial Guard and converted into a formidable Fortress World. The population exploded as massive permanent fortress-cities were erected on the planet's solid plateaus, and the hardy Volitans were proud to take up service in the God-Emperor's armies. However a schism formed between those who moved to the permanent settlements and those who chose to remain as Nomads in Volitair's great deserts. In M41 the majority of the population lives within the secure and Imperial fortresses & cities that are dotted around the planet's regions of solid plateaus & plains. These Volitans have a broadly typical Fortress world culture centred around the military and martial pursuits. For these Volitans there is mandatory military training & service for three years when they turn 17 (though this can be avoided through substantial payment), and a large number go on to enlist for much longer terms of service. Like most Fortress Worlds, Volitair's PDF is essentially an extension of the Imperial Guard and thus entire regiments of the Volitan military can be summoned to far-off conflicts when needed. If there are not enough volunteers to maintain the Volitan military's standing strength of ~100 million soldiers, the government practices conscription-by-lottery from which no one of suitable age is exempt. Meanwhile the desert Nomads are fiercely faithful individualists that practice a slight divergence of the Imperial Cult that involves prayer & mass at different shrines across the vast deserts (or, when not in their deserts, by ensuring they visit different churches). Naturally Nomads are talented survivalists, hunters, and gatherers. They are well-versed in beast riding as well, with the hardy Volitan Horse the most popular mount. But the indigenous Lollad - a thick-limbed leathery quadruped - is used more often as a steadier cargo-hauler as it can traverse enormous distances in hot weather without pause. Desert Nomads can be recognised by their light but fully covering cloaks & robes, as well as small facial tattoos favoured by their culture - particularly around the eyes. While they are not subject to the same mandatory service & conscription as those who dwell in the fortress-cities, Desert Nomads can volunteer for Imperial Guard service and their fierce faith in the God-Emperor inspires a fair number of them to do so. These hardy people make excellent soldiers, and are usually formed into Light Infantry units consisting entirely of Nomads (often from the same Tribe) that excel in long-term independent operations in potentially hostile or inhospitable climates. Scouting, infiltration, ambush & demolitions operations are what they are most famous for, and some Nomads are formed into skilled Rough Rider units as well. Nomad units are known as highly irregular, with no formal standards or training beyond impressing their prospective commanding officer. Thus they can consist of a broad range of individuals with an equally broad range of skills. There's is also a large Imperial Navy base constructed around one of Volitair's moons, Volitus. The Volitus Fleet is skewed towards lighter vessels, as they must maintain a larger number of fast patrols around the region to counter the Ork raiders scattered across the Subsector's shipping lanes, to say nothing of human pirates operating out of Tartarus. *'Technology:' – Good As the Fortress world for the Subsector, Volitair has many advanced military machines considered above average. *'Military:' Volitair has a very large military, as well as a sizeable defence fleet of system monitors. There is also a substantial Imperial Navy presence on Volitus (though skewed towards lighter vessels). *'Strategic importance: 'Maxima Without this planet the Subsector would undoubtedly fall to the Orknoids. *'Loyalty: '85% The unceasing propaganda of the Imperial War Machine ensures complete loyalty from the fortress-city populace, but some of the Desert Nomads harbour far more seperatist ideology - not from the Imperium or God-Emperor but from the Volitan government. Notable Locations Volitair's surface is predominantly covered by vast deserts that are riven with narrow tracks of grassland around trailing rivers, and dotted with oases that vary in size from simple drinking holes to small paradises. Between the deserts are numerous large rocky plateaus, and it is upon these that most of Volitair's infrastructure is built. *'Kerak' - The capital city of Volitair, this massive fortress-city is ringed with high sand-coloured ferrocrete walls and is located upon the vast Al-Kerak Plateau. Orbital defence lasers and flak towers dominate the skyline amongst concrete hab blocks and civilian infrastructure. Military barracks, training facilities and airbases are dotted throughout the city, and the walls themselves are covered in turrets and buttresses. Outside the walls are massive semi-permanent military encampments where Mechanised, Armoured and Artillery regiments are trained and stationed, though all are capable of retreating behind the walls within a matter of hours. Notable locations in Kerak: **'Planetary Palace' - This opulent fortress serves as the home of the Lord General of Volitair and the centre of bureaucracy and military command on Volitair. Notable inhabitants: ***'Lord General Ibn Sa-Lahm' - An Imperial Guard veteran who has served in the Brachau Crusade as a rough rider officer. Lord General Sa-Lahm has battled orks for centuries, both on the back of a horse and above a strategic hologram. **'The Babel Spire' - This enormous spire is the tallest building in Kerak by far, stretching into the sky like a great spear. It is a defensive structure studded with orbital defence lasers, AA guns and colossal missile launchers, and is capable of tearing apart whole wings of attack craft and voidships in low orbit. Most significantly, its tremendous height allows its defence lasers to traverse down and fire at the ground outside the city walls, the anti-voidship weapons able to carve molten furrows in the rock and incinerate swathes of enemy troops. **'Residential Areas' - Kerak's living areas are quite densely packed due to the space limitations enforced by the defensive walls. These great constructs of lightly coloured stone are home to millions, and the wealthier inhabitants can afford larger city manors that house entire dynasties. Notable inhabitants: ***'Faruk Dynasty' - This family is extremely devout to the Emperor but different lines follow different methods of worship. This can lead to great tension during dynasty gatherings, including accusations of heresy towards each other's cults. ***'Ulla'hadeen Dynasty' - A powerful dynasty that owns substantial ammunition & small arms factories in Kerak. The Ulla'hadeens employ a large number of Kerak's civilians and is known to have the ear of the Lord General when it comes to labour issues, materiel needs, and arms quotas. One of the wealthiest families in the system, the Ulla'hadeens are big names in high society and throw frequent parties in their large palace, but still have many enemies including business rivals and some of their own employees. ***'Kholyemi Dynasty' - A military fynasty that has served with distinction for almost a thousand years. The Kholyemis are well liked by the populace and serve in a broad range of roles, from Infantry to pilots. They are known as level-headed and sensible soldiers, who put their troops above personal glory, and this has greatly endeared them to the population. They are the most popular & obeyed figureheads with the exception of the planet's incumbent Lord General (though a few previous Lord Generals of Volitair have hailed from this dynasty as well). ****'General Izral Kholyemi' - The current patriarch of the Dynasty and commander of the 2nd Volitan Army Group. Izral is also Lord General Sa-Lahm's deputy and has fought many battles against the Orks of Drohia as well as further afield, and as a Colonel he commanded a Volitan Infantry Regiment in constant redeployment around the Demi-Segmentum for 22 years. ****'Brigadier General Mamud Kholyemi' - Son of Izral and commander of the 201st Volitan Brigade that is deployed to the system's Outer Reaches. He directly commands the troops involved in some of the heaviest fighting in the system and is a skilled combatant himself. ****'Lieutenant Colonel Edoris Kholyemi' - An expert scout & cunning commander who leads a Battalion of Desert Nomad Scouts. Potent Light Infantry survivialists, Nomad Scout units like Edoris' are deployed without support for weeks at a time. ****'Major Ankyr Kholyemi' - A senior pilot in Volitair's 1st Grenadier Regiment, Ankyr usually pilots a Vulture but is equally proficient at the helm of a Valkyrie or Vendetta. The 1st Grenadiers are often deployed wherever the fighting is thickest and so Ankyr is a highly skilled pilot. ***'Suhr Dynasty' - A military family with an affinity for operating war machines. The Suhrs are talented armour commanders & pilots that are known to lead from the front and take an aggressive but tempered stance. They are also notoriously proud, and respond to any slight with duel challenges of blade or pistol. ****'Lieutenant General Odek Suhr' - Patriarch of the Dynasty. Odek is head of Volitair's Aeronautica assets and thus oversees Aeronautica recruitment, training, supply, doctrine, and distribution amognst combat formations. A career pilot, in his youth Odek flew Thunderbolts and claimed many Orknoid war machines, and lost both his legs to an Ork Flakka Gun. ****'Colonel Laila Suhr' - Odek's daughter & Chief of Staff. Laila was also a piloy who flew Lightnings before being promoted to command. ****'Colonel Udan Suhr' - Odek's son and commander of the 4th Volitan Armoured Regiment. Udan is a ferocious commander who leads from the front in his Baneblade Elemental. ***'Ferani Dynasty' - A relatively young military dynasty that boooseted their wealth to Noble levels only recently with the acquisition of modest textiles holdings. The Feranis are noted as talented scouts & navigators, and mesh well with Nomad units thanks to a diplomatic sense and strong faith. They are growing in popularity amongst both commoners & Nomads, but the older dynasties tend to look down on them for being too friendly with the 'primitives'. ****'Major General Cahz Ferani' - Commander of the 36th Volitan Corps. Cahz spent almost 60 years in direct command of Nomad units and understands them better than anyone in Volitan high command. ****'Colonel Barhan Ferani' - Commander of the 89th Volitan Light Infantry Regiment - a Nomad unit consisting of horseback & foot scouts that is currently deployed to Pamascus hunting down greenskin enclaves. ****'Major Ana Ferani' - One of the Volitan military's liaison officers that recruit Nomads from the deserts and run basic military training courses for them. Ana is an accomplished tracker & scout and a crack shot, skills necessary to earn the Nomad's respect. ***'Al-Amin Dynasty' - A vibrant & energetic family of entertainers and social climbers that own an expanding business of metalworks, primarily bladesmithing. They are popular social figures that throw the most rambunctious celebrations and several Dynasty members are prominent performers including singers & actors. They are known for their significant beauty as well as naivety when it comes to military matters as they buy themselves out of mandatory service. But this works to their disadvantage should they be drawn in conscription (though this is ultimately quite unlikely). *'Mafosu Desert' - The largest desert on Volitair and located next to the Al-Kerak Plateau, the Mafosu Desert is a foreboding expanse of rolling sand dunes and scorching heat and home to hundreds of tribes of desert nomads who survive off the land. Predators like desert lions and great river lizards stalk the lands, and nomads hunt both these and more benign creatures like sand oxen to feed themselves. They do not live this life solely because of tradition, for the various oases and riverbanks that stitch the desert are considered shrines in their own right and the nomadic tribes believe that making pilgrimages between these holy places is the one true way to venerate the Emperor. Though relations between nomadic tribes are mostly peaceful, conflicts can sometimes arise when tribes resort to raiding others for supplies and wealth. The largest of these conflicts in recent history was in 246.M41, when almost half of the desert tribes formed into three factions (mostly decided by ancient treaties of alliance between tribes) that engaged in all-out conflict with each other. The immensely bloody war was only stopped by Imperial intervention, Armoured regiments from Kerak riding out into the desert and forcing order between the horseback nomads. Notable Tribes: **'Tribe Adin' - The largest of the Mafosu Tribes, Tribe Adin are fierce adherents of militant faith and many of their number volunteer to serve in the Volitan military. They are also known as a righteous Tribe that does their best to enforce peace & challenge injustice throughout the Desert, believing it to be their mandate from the Emperor. ***'Sheik Salah ab-Adin' - Chieftain of Tribe Adin and a man of highly righteous intent, many warriors in Imperial Guard Nomad regiments hold strong loyalties to Salah ab-Adin. **'Tribe Hussana' - A moderately sized tribe notorious for their habits of raiding, thieving and pillaging from other tribes. While they avoid outright killing, they are known to take slaves and beat any who resist. They are largely despised & feared and Tribe Adin is constantly trying to hunt them down, but their skills on horsebasck keep them elusive. **'Tribe Mefuza' - A sizeable Tribe that places great emphasis on personal honour. This leads to frequent duels within the Tribe and has even led to all-out war with other Tribes in the past over slights & insults. Because of this they are known as skilled bladesmen and very physically trained, often bigger & stronger than the other tribes through generations of selective combat. **'Tribe Kazhin' and Tribe Gaddan - These two large Tribes are currently engaged in violent warfare that spiralled out over horse theft. The nasty war of raids and counter-raids is growing ever-bloodier as the Tribes' hatred for each other increases with each skirmish, and it seems likely that the war will now only end with complete annihilation of one or the other. The rest of the Tribes keep a wide berth of the conflict zone, desperate to avoid being dragged into the nasty melee. **'Tribe Edeni' - A small tribe that moves around a mountain range on the desert's western edge. They are known as highly talented trackers and very skilled on horseback, and generations of climbing slopes & negotiating unsteady passes has given them excellent perception & reflexes. **'Tribe Sha'ket' - A mysterious and extremely spiritual Tribe that dwells deep within the remotes regions of the Mafosu - sustained by unmapped oases. While they mostly keep to themsselves this Tribe is notorious for producing highly skilled assassins for hire. **'Tribe il-Shah' - A much hated Tribe that believes in the rule of might. Fluctuating regularly in numbers but generally large, this Tribe openly assaults, kills, enslaves, and pillages whoever they can, believing it to be their Emperor-given right. If they are strong enough to defeat their victims then surely - so they believe - it is the God-Emperor's will. Merciless and cruel, the il-Shah Tribe are an object of great fear across the desert. However they are tolerated by the planetary government because they have a high level of military volunteering and make highly effective soldiers. **'Tribe Aytohl' - A tribe that dwells around the firmer plains near the Al-Kerak plateau, the Aytohls hunt the vast herds of beasts that thunder across these plains in great migrations. Known as crack shots both static and from horseback, Aytohls make exceptional scout snipers and are much prized recruits for Nomad units. *'Volitus' - The sole moon of Volitair, Volitus serves as an achorage for Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. A large grid of docks and defence platforms have been built above the moon and it always has several naval vessels moored, often including the Blade of Vengeance when she's not on patrol. Notable inhabitants: **'Rear Admiral Kawlis Rawne' - Commander of the Volitus anchorage. Though he never quite developed the instinct required for offensive fleet actions as a warship officer, Rear Admial Rawne has proven to be an excellent bureaucrat and defensive strategist. 'Other notable planets in the system' 'Samatair' *'World:' Samatair *'Type:' Temperate Mining World *'Tithe:' Ferrum Samatair tithes industrial metals to the forges of Volitair itself and Peletonium. *'Population:' 42 million 000 000 *'Government:' Military dictatorship. A representative of the Lord General of Volitair holds absolute power here. This position is currently held by General Esmaine Ibylla, a middle-aged woman who rose rapidly through the ranks in the Imperial Guard thanks to her keen intellect and political savvy. *'Description:' A small, desolate world in the habitable zone of the sytem, Samatair is rich in ferrum and so has long played host to large mining operations. It is also a frequent target of orknoid attacks and therefore has a large presence of Volitan military forces. Feral ork infestations are a permanent problem, and occasional large scale uprisings or ork reinforcements from out-of-system must be beaten down or beaten back. *'Technology:' - Imperial Samatair's mining industry uses reliable equipment. While the local military presence - while tough - is not particularly exceptional in technology. *'Military:' Samatair has a large Imperial Guard presence, with regiments of all kinds stationed here. There are also several defence monitors and defence platforms in orbit. *'Strategic importance:' Media Samatair's minerals are not to be sacrificed lightly, but it serves no vital function. *'Loyalty:' Imperial The hard mining and frequent fighting wear down on the population's spirit. 'Pamascus' *'World:' Pamascus *'Type:' Temperate World *'Tithe:' Nix Pamascus has nothing to tithe, but is protected due to its status. *'Population:' 37 million 000 000 *'Government:' Military dictatorship. A representative of the Lord General of Volitair holds absolute power here. This position is currently held by General Mullah Al-Farez, an Imperial Guard infantry veteran who has spent his entire life on Pamascus. *'Description:' Originally little more than a habitable but otherwise small & useless planet on the edges of the system's habitable zone, Pamascus became a Shrine World during the Belisarian Reclamation Crusade 'in M37. Whilst cleansing the system of orknonids an ancient shrine to the Emperor dating back thousands of years was discovered on Pamascus, and Imperial forces quickly began colonising the area around the shrine and fortifying it. Over the centuries Pamascus became strongly associated with the strength of faith in the Emperor, and is covered in shrines and churches devoted to the Imperial Cult. Like most other planets in the Volitair system Pamascus is frequently attacked by orknoids and has its own feral infestation, but its holy status means it cannot simply be bombarded from orbit. *'Technology: - Good Pamascus' civilian infrastructure is nothing special but the military presence is well equipped, with machinery including super-heavy tanks. *'Military:' Pamascus has a sizeable Imperial Guard presence, and several defence monitors, stations and orbital defence platforms hold vigil over the precious shrine world. *'Strategic importance:' Media Pamascus is an important morale asset, but does not perform any vital functions. *'Loyalty:' Imperial The highly religious society breed a loyal populace. 'Ultima Vol' *'World:' Ultima Vol *'Type:' Gas Giant *'Tithe:' Nix *'Population:' N/A *'Government:' N/A. *'Description:' A vast gas giant covered in moons - both habitable and inhabitable - and asteroids. Any orknoids that find their way into the system invariably head for Ultima Vol to lurk amongst the crowded orbital space and make planetfall on the moons. Such an infestation within the system naturally cannot be allowed to fester, but the Imperial forces sent to clear the infestation have a hard task ahead of them as ork ships ambush them from behind asteroids and orknoids on the surface hide in massive cave systems to endure orbital bombardment, necessitating the deployment of ground forces to clear the greenskins manually. *'Technology:' N/A. *'Military:' N/A *'Strategic importance:' Nix. *'Loyalty:' Nix 'Arcitair' *'World:' Arcitair *'Type:' Ice Death World *'Tithe:' Nix *'Population:' N/A *'Government:' N/A *'Description:' A freezing cold world covered in sight-blocking clouds and razorhail blizzards. Orknoids that make planetfall here are near-impossible to kill from orbit, the harsh climate throwing off any bombardments. As such ground forces must be sent into the desolate landscape, braving the freezing climate and dangerous native creatures to hunt down and exterminate the greenskins. *'Technology:' N/A. *'Military:' N/A *'Strategic importance:' Nix. *'Loyalty:' Nix Category:Planet Category:Subsector Cryptus Category:Imperial World Category:Fortress World